We had the good fortune of connecting with Rufina Lao and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rufina, how do you think about risk?
Risk to me is exposing yourself, or putting yourself, in a situation where there could be potential loss or danger. I decided to start my online boutique during one of the riskiest times our economy has ever seen, the pandemic. So many people were losing everything including their lives, but I felt like there was no better time for me to throw myself out there and follow my dream. Before the pandemic I worked a 9-5 that was 95% travel so I had no free time to work on my dream of starting my own online boutique. Once the pandemic hit I was unable to travel for work so I had nothing but free time. That’s when I hit the ground running and started Empyreal the Label. I had my site up and running by December. That same month I was faced with the choice of going back to my 9-5 traveling full time and pushing off my boutique that I had just launched or staying home and focusing on growing my business. I decided to keep on taking risks and stay home, and I am thankful that I did.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am in the fashion Industry. The name of my online Boutique is Empyreal the Label. Was starting my business easy? Absolutely not. It has taken a lot of late nights because of time differences with vendors in other countries, and it really was trial and error creating and finding styles that would appeal to, and reach, my target audience. What I learned along the way is practice patience. I had this expectation at first that the product would sell itself and that is not the case. It takes a lot of marketing and a lot of time creating ads and social media content. My brand is still in the beginning stages but we are growing rapidly so just stay tuned!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had friends visiting, I’d start off with my favorite places to brunch, I’m a big brunch person; if I could I’d go every day. Some great spots are Ida Claire’s, BreadWinners, Public School 214, and Saint Ann’s. Day partying is always a must, I’d make sure to introduce my friends to either Stirr or Level. For culture and relaxation I love the Dallas Museum of Art. Lunch from the food trucks in Klyde Warren are also high on the list, and finding some fun around Deep Ellum is always a must.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout Sonya Booker of SonyaBee’s boutique. I’ve never had the pleasure to meet her but like myself she is a Mississippi native who stepped out on nothing but faith. She moved to LA and took over the industry. I definitely look to her for inspiration on the days when I feel like “maybe I should be doing something else”.

Website: empyreal-thelabel.com

Instagram: empyrealthelabel

Twitter: LebriaRufina

Facebook: EmpyrealTheLabel

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